Internship Program at Genetic Alliance

The Internship Program at Genetic Alliance has been in place since 1997. Interns make a significant contribution to Alliance projects, address critical policy issues, and explore opportunities for both career and personal development. All interns make meaningful contributions to Genetic Alliance projects and programs while providing an invaluable level of program and administrative support for the organization. We provide internship opportunities of varying duration, from semester- to year-long, in the areas of biomedical research, genetic counseling, bioethics, health policy, education, consumer advocacy, nonprofit management, electronic communication, and information systems. We attract individuals who are motivated, thoughtful, creative, and detail-oriented. Individuals in various stages of their academic and professional careers are encouraged to apply.

General Information

Qualifications/Requirements
Genetic Alliance welcomes applicants in all stages of academic or professional development—applicants do not need to be enrolled in an academic program. The organization does require, however, that individuals demonstrate through previous experience a passion for improving health systems to better meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities or have previous experience in the internship for which they are applying. Genetic Alliance internships are highly competitive and encompass work requiring prior knowledge in each specific program.

Location of Internship & Transportation
Genetic Alliance is conveniently located adjacent to the Van Ness metro stop on the Red Line in Washington, DC.
Address: 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 404, Washington, DC 20008 (See Directions)

Academic Credit
Interns may receive academic credit if an agreement is made between Genetic Alliance and the intern’s college or university. All interns are subject to the applicable Genetic Alliance Personnel Handbook.

Acknowledgments and Compensation
Interns receive acknowledgment in publications produced and projects completed. Additionally, interns attend various Genetic Alliance and partner events and are exposed to unparalleled networking opportunities within the health community.

All interns receive a stipend to assist in travel and living expenses: full-time interns receive a stipend of $100/wk, and part-time interns receive a stipend of $50/wk. We gladly work with interns to accommodate class schedules, volunteer opportunities, degree requirements, and attending meetings of interest. Please contact Andria Cornell, Internship Coordinator, at acornell@geneticalliance.org for additional information.

2010 Internship Opportunities

Design your internship experience around one or more of the following areas:

Programs Intern
Learn how to collaborate with government, university, and nonprofit partners on projects that move the genetics community forward. Hone your research, writing, and logistical skills in areas such as family health history, newborn screening, genetic testing, and quality information for genetic conditions. Interact with our network partners through meetings, listservs, and webinars. Get involved in exciting areas of the genetics and health communities including health information technology and communal online resources and services. Genetic Alliance programs include but are not limited to: Access to Credible Genetics Resources and Services, Community-Centered Family Health History, Disease InfoSearch, Consumer-Focused Newborn Screening and the Newborn Screening Clearinghouse, and Congenital Conditions.

This internship is valuable for those interested in genetic counseling, public health, medical school, nursing, allied health professions, health education, medical anthropology, community-based health work, and more.

Health Law/Health Policy Intern
Experience the exciting political environment of Washington, DC. Learn about all levels of health policy, from federal legislation and regulation to professional society recommendations and institutional policy. Dive into understanding how policy impacts health at each level. Write weekly policy bulletins for a thriving listserv, contribute to white papers, and attend meetings, briefings, and hearings on Capitol Hill and throughout the city with partner organizations. Collaborate on and shape Genetic Alliance programs, projects, and products. Join us to engage in health and genetics through the lens of policy! Genetic Alliance provides a spectrum of opportunities for interns in health policy, from introductory to rigorous and advanced collaborations with our Senior Counsel and President & CEO.

Biomedical Research, Diagnostics, and Drug Development Intern
Engage in cutting-edge program development, research, and/or writing with a variety of stakeholders in the genetics and health community. Genetic Alliance plays a leadership role in biobanking, registries, natural history studies, open access, privacy, and other related areas. Interns will contribute in a meaningful way to real projects that will transform health through genetics. Peer-reviewed papers, white papers, tools, best practices, and other concrete products are a common result of these internships.

Events/Outreach Intern
Support the planning, logistics, and implementation of all Genetic Alliance events throughout the year. Duties include participating in internal planning and strategy meetings, supporting interaction with external vendors, communicating with participants and speakers, developing public materials, and assisting with event tasks as needed. Genetic Alliance both hosts and attends a variety of events throughout the health and advocacy communities. Interns play an integral role in the success of these events while learning how Genetic Alliance executes novel meeting formats and innovative discussion forums that ignite cutting-edge discourse and open debate. The events/outreach intern will help Genetic Alliance build and maintain relationships throughout these networks by aiding outreach staff in communications, events research, and community involvement.

Public Health Genomics Intern
Help us transform the emerging field of public health genomics. Genetic Alliance has strong ties with the American Public Health Association’s Genomics Forum and is engaged in a number of projects that will inform the future of public health for rare and common conditions. This position will reach out to other fields in public health, conduct research, and craft white papers on future directions for early disease detection and intervention. Join us in translating decades of research into the systems and services that will help keep individuals, families, and communities healthy. Genetic Alliance gives preference to applicants who are currently pursuing or who have obtained a public health degree or can demonstrate previous experience in the public health field, but all are welcome to apply.

Health Informatics and Technology Partnerships (HITP) Intern
Collaborate with leaders of condition-specific advocacy organizations while utilizing cutting-edge technological solutions that leverage the capacity of the genetics community. HITP interns will participate in a multidisciplinary internship, building on an interest in genetics, bioinformatics, and education by working one-on-one with advocacy leaders as they navigate a number of Genetic Alliance’s novel shared infrastructure platforms, including the Genetic Alliance BioBank, Disease InfoSearch, Resource Repository, and the Trust it or Trash it? Tool. HITP interns will craft training and educational models around data collection, gain valuable skills in data curation and analysis and survey instrument development, and refine interpersonal communication skills by interfacing with diverse partners. Interns will gain unique insight into the power of technology and data repositories to facilitate the translation of research into treatments, open access to information, and improve informed decision-making in health. Genetic Alliance gives preference to applicants who are currently pursuing or who have obtained a postbaccalaureate or graduate degree or can demonstrate previous experience in a related field, but all are encouraged to apply.

This internship is valuable for those interested in bioinformatics, information technology, clinical data management, genetic counseling, health education, outreach, and more. Experience with databases, survey design, data collection and/or data analysis preferred.

Human Resource Intern
Learn the ins and outs of human resource management in a mission-driven organization dedicated to providing its employees with innovative benefits in an open environment to facilitate personal and professional growth. The Human Resource Intern will assist with special projects for the HR department, including day-to-day clerical responsibilities and research and analysis. Projects may consist of ensuring compliance of federal and state laws, assisting in streamlining employee programs, analyzing and developing of policies, and creating different types of staff training tools. All applicants must have the ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism and deliver in a fast-paced, demanding environment.

This internship is valuable for those interested in healthcare management, human resources and finance, human resource management, and more.

Social Media Intern
Reach across the nation and help expand the mission of Genetic Alliance through the use of consumer generated media. A social media intern will develop, implement and monitor successful social media campaigns resulting in real world outcomes. Setup, maintenance, and analysis of new and current social media accounts will help us transform health through genetics in areas that we have never accessed before. The intern will be responsible for building an organizational presence on social media sites, posting relevant articles, responding to contacts, creating original blog posts on topics of interest, and constructing a new social media strategy and market plan. Interns will gain valuable online marketing experience while helping Genetic Alliance revolutionize access to information and promote an environment of openness. Requirements include experience with social media tools, aggregators, and applications (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc) and proficiency working with Apple platforms as well as most mobile devices.

Application Process

International applications are welcome, however, Genetic Alliance does not sponsor international applicants for a work visa or offer assistance in relocation fees.

Exceptional oral and written communication skills are essential.

Each applicant may choose up to two positions for which to apply. Experience for each specific position must be addressed in a cover letter. Multiple cover letters are accepted for applicants applying for two positions.

Intern applications are considered on an ongoing basis. We offer single and multi-semester internships in addition to summer or yearlong opportunities. As our internship positions are competitive with limited slots for each internship type available, we utilize the following dates as deadlines for applications:

Fall 2010 Internships: Sunday, August 8, 2010

Application Materials:

1. Download and fill out the Application Form [Word 97].
2. One (1)-page letter of interest or cover letter (strictly enforced) – Please share with us how working with Genetic Alliance will advance your professional and academic goals. In particular, describe what skills you offer and those you wish to gain during your internship. Please also be sure to indicate which of the above internship opportunities you are interested in (you may list more than one).
3. Resume or CV
4. Undergraduates: Two letters of recommendation from professors or previous employers. Graduate students and professional applicants: names and contact information for three professional or academic references.
5. A three-to-five-page writing sample (excluding citations) – Samples should not be scientific research papers. Samples may be excerpts of longer papers. If a sample exceeds the limit, only the first three pages will be considered. In your email providing the above materials, please tell us why you have chosen this writing sample to submit with your application. You may provide more than one writing sample if you feel it necessary to demonstrate a range of skills important to the internship of interest.
6. Any forms relevant to fulfilling requirements for your school or external program. This may include forms relevant for receiving funds or a grant to supplement the internship stipend or receiving academic credit.

Submitting Your Application Materials
Because Genetic Alliance encourages environmentally-friendly behavior, we prefer applicants to email their application materials to Andria Cornell, Internship Coordinator, at internship@geneticalliance.org.

Thank you for your interest. We hope you’ll join us in our mission to Transform Health Through Genetics.